British Prime Minister Tony Blair accepted this evening his popularity had waned since the heady days of 1997 but said his enthusiasm for the premiership had not, vowing again to serve a full third term if re-elected on May 5th.
Polls show Mr Blair's centre-left Labour party well ahead of its opponents, although Britons view the prime minister himself with little enthusiasm.
In an interview with BBC television, Mr Blair denied striking a succession pact with his finance minister Gordon Brown, who is impatiently waiting in the wings.
"I've said I'll serve the full term and exactly what situation happens then and how you hand over, you can leave that to a later time ... You don't do deals about jobs like this."
A youthful-looking Mr Blair swept to victory in 1997 on a wave of euphoria as Britons, jaded by 18 years of Conservative rule, lapped up his Labour party's message of "Cool Britannia".
Eight years on, commentators say Blair looks fatigued in the wake of his decision to back the US-led conflict in Iraq and treatment to regulate his heart beat last year.
Mr Blair vehemently denied he had resorted to a fake tan to boost his appeal and said he was not weary of office. "The irony of this job is that you are less popular as you go on but in some ways you are better equipped to do the job," said a bronzed Mr Blair, who was grilled over the Iraq war, asylum and tax by one of the country's most aggressive interviewers.
Asked if it had occurred to him to bow out, Mr Blair said: "Not at the moment, because I still think we've got things to do."
Polls put him on track to win a third term but anger over the war could help cut Labour's huge parliamentary majority.
"There's masses for me to do and that's what gets you up in the morning," Mr Blair said. "It's recognising that whatever ghastly stuff is appearing from time to time in the media, you've still got the energy and determination to do the job."
The prime minister has said he will not seek a fourth term in power and has put on a show of unity with rival Brown since the start of the election campaign.
Pressed by over Iraq, Mr Blair once again refused to apologise for supporting the US-led invasion despite the fact most Britons opposed it before the war began. Blair asked the public to accept his view that he had to take a difficult decision on removing Saddam Hussein "instead of continually attacking my integrity".